By Brianna Spause
Special Features/Web Editor

11th grade is a tough year, filled with important decisions, standardized tests, new concepts and literature. Students in Neshaminy High School’s brought a required piece of cirriculum to life as they enacted Arthur Miller’s The Crucible in the Black Box theater from November 14 – 16.

These young actors and actresses transformed themselves to resemble the townspeople in an early 1960’s Salem, Mass. under the direction of Suzi Drake. John Proctor and his wife Elizabeth, played by Harris Rothfield and Logan Miszencin respectivly, were the main focus of the play and were set to face the witchcraft accusations put upon them by a young servant girl, Abigail as played by Kaitlyn Jones.

The pain and frustration that was written into Miller’s play was brought to life on stage. A talented set of actors and actresses took the stage to put on a thoroughly convincing rendition of the Salem Witch trials. One character stood out from the crowd however – Marry Warren as played by junior, Emily Tolnay took the audience by storm.

Facial expressions is one thing, tone is another. But Tolnay, who was chosen to be a Roadie, is a well rounded actress. She harbors the ability to wrap her viewers around her fingers, and establish a caring relationship – unexpected from a high school student production.

Another convincing aspect of the play that added to the production was the set design. Makeup artist Kyle Nagel transformed senior, Janelle Thee into the elderly Rebecca Nurse, and made sure it was believeable. “Seeing my work on stage was a whole new experience. It was very stressful but came out to be a success,” Nagel said

With rehearsal starting in early Sept., and the interuption of inclimate weather, the cast really had to come together to learn lines. The added stress put on the cast was not displayed in the quality of the production. “Everyone got along really well, and even though we lost a ton of rehearsal time to the hurricane, we all pulled it together,” senior Sarah Emslie, who played Betty Paris said.

Students were able to capture the tone of the book, as well as the attention of the audience who, on Friday Nov. 18 offered a standing ovation to the cast. The next production the Drama Department will be putting on – as advertised in the playbook – is Done To Death on several dates in January.